The more I read about medication and doctors that just don't seem to want to hear what we have to say...the more I wonder....WHY??? Is it just me or do I just not get it? There has to be a logical explanation for this. I read about people struggling everyday with trying to make sense of their levels /numbers. How can we make sense of them if the doctors can not agree on them? How can we feel better if the doctor just shines us off and does not even want to hear what we have to say about what we are feeling? I am a great believer in listening to your own body. I know how I am feeling day to day. I don't need a doctor to tell me "Oh your fine...your numbers are good." BS! If I don't look fine, I don't talk fine, I don't feel fine.....I AM NOT FINE!! This is one of me rant days. It took me years to find a doctor that would listen and work with me. He moved to another state and now I am on the hunt again. It is time for my yearly check up and lab work. I have been looking for a few months now. I guess I am lucky I have been what I call remission. I still get anger attacks and act out of place as my husband said. I cry at odd times. I get depressed at odd times. I still can't lose weight. I hurt in my joints ...but not all the time now. I am by no means cured. I don't expect that right now. The thing is I watch what I eat. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies. Most of it from my garden that I canned myself. I even have a tomato plant in my office still producing in the winter. I get goat cheese from the farm down the road. Last year we moved back home to this small town where there is fresh air ...no pollution. We got away from stressful family and friends. I am only in contact with family that really care about me and that I can talk to with out being judged. I walk about 2 miles everyday, just inside my house. Last year I was using a cane still. I have a schedule I go by. I work an 8 hour day. As some of you know. 1/2 hr -3-4 hrs a day on the computer...off and on all day. So I am not on here for hours at a time. One day I sew, one day I draw and paint, one day for my house, one day to wash a day to organize and a day for a road trip. I don't always keep to that but that is the general idea. I find if I keep my mind active and my body as much as possible I am tired but not sleeping all day like I was. Some of you may ask how do I manage to walk 2 miles a day. I wear one of those little walk meters and I have a big house. I can walk room to room in a big circle. If I am sitting I make myself get up and walk to the kitchen of office every 1/2 hour or so. That is why it seems like I am on the computer all day. I stopp what ever I am doing and walk to the far end of the house to work on the computer a 1/2 hour or so. This may seem like I am getting off the subject ..but I am not really. I am just working on ways to keep me going till I can find a doctor to tell me my numbers are good or not good. What ever . I know I need to have a doctor in my life forever...but I need one that will listen. In the mean time I will work on keeping myself going in a healthy way. So what does this say about my health. I may need a doctor in my life but I also need to find ways to keep me going the best way possible. If I can do with out meds I will...if I need them well I need them. Right now I seem to be doing fine with out. I was a CNA and make sure I check my vitals everyday. I ask my husband everyday how am I doing. I have learned we can not always tell . We may know how we feel body wise but not how we are acting. I work real hard on being a "Lady",lol. So this is working for me right now. It may not work for you and I am not telling you to get off meds and stop seeing a doctor. But it won't hurt to try to help yourself in in way you can..

I don't like to talk about levels and medicines here. I feel that is something between you and your doctor. I am asked about what I think is a good range and what mine is. I never tell. I will sometimes tell you what medicine I take and how much. Lately I have been concerned about what I see on some thyroid groups. Letting people know what works for you is a good thing. But, giving advice as to what to take and how much or what not to take... Well that worries me. Some people think they are getting this advice from a doctor. I don't know any doctors that will tell you what and how much medicine to take in a Thyroid group. Just like me these groups are usually run by a person or persons that have a thyroid disease themselves and just want to help. I am not a doctor and will not give you advice about what to take or what not to take. All I can do is tell you what works for me. I can not stress this enough. I will share with you information that I find or others find on the internet on my Face book page's....Graves'Disease Coffee Break and Elaine's Coffee Break. Share is the word. You can read the articles and judge for yourself. I have belonged to a few different Thyroid Support groups over the years. One thing I have learned is you never give medical advice. You can be sued. Also it can be dangerous to somebody taking the advice. Only a doctor should advise treatment or medication. Granted we do not all have the best or the most knowledgeable doctors. But an unknown person in a Face book support group for thyroid disease is not a good choice over a doctor. Good intentions are great but medical advice not so great. There is a lot of good advice on many of these Thyroid Support Groups coming from many people. I have learned a lot from them myself. I am only referring to the medical advice. Just check with your doctor before stopping or changing your medication is the advice I am giving. And if you are one of those giving the advice to stop or change medication...I do not mean to offend you. Just be sure to mention you are not a doctor and it is only your opinion. Better to be safe then sorry. The National Graves' Foundation support leaders use the word "WAND" We are not Doctors. I do not agree with all they do but I do believe in that one thing. Take care

Good News. "I Am" Project is going good on Face Book. Some of you are posting and sharing and some are going privately. What ever works for you. I think the "I Am" project is a very helpful and sometimes challenging project. But very worth while for anybody to do. What is the "I Am" Project?? Very simple. Everyday for 30 days write on your calender or piece of paper a positive word. Such as "I Am nice" or 'I Am..trying" Any positive word. If you can go more then 30 days all the better. See how long you can go with out repeating a word. With Thyroid Disease being such a negative thing in our life we need to sometimes remind ourselves there is still very positive things around us.I do this every day and it has helped me so much. On very bad days I look back on my list and have to smile. Some of us write down an extra line of why we picked that word that day. It brings back a happy reminder. Even if all you managed was "I Am trying" How positive is that one word. We have to keep trying. We can not let Thyroid Disease get us down with out a good fight. The thing about this project is anybody can do it. From small children to teens to somebody facing other Disease's or challenges. It does not hurt to try. But it does hurt not to in my opinion. I have a few really good ones stored away for when I really can not think of anything. Yes my mind does go "Blank" . Many times. Sometimes I forget what I am doing. I have found if I keep busy and keep my mind working I don't get so many "Blank" spots in my day. I also do not seem to need to sleep 16 hrs a day. I try to keep my whole day busy. I Do my Online work for 1/2 hr to 1 hour at a time 1-6 times a day . In between I do other things. Day1 is for drawing and painting . Day 2 is for sewing projects. Day 3 day is for my writing. Day 4 is for baking cookies or cakes. Day 5 is for organizing. Day 6 for house stuff. And day 7 for a road trip. As you see I try to keep busy. I do not always stick to this routine. But, it does help me keep myself in order as I tend to forget things still. Oh you been there I see. So you know what I am talking about. I try to read everyday and watch the news. The whole point is I can not go to work everyday any more. But I need that structure. When you work from home it is easy to get lazy about things. Although I will work in my Pj's some days. It is called Pajama day. If I do not get dressed and just wear something old I would not go out in public with ....well that is my "Come as You are to work" Day. If my grandkids are here , I am playing hookie. And if I don't get out of bed, ofcourse that is a sick leave. Yes I Do have an excuse for everything I do. I have been asked about my politics, well I am a "Purple'. I have been asked about my belief , I believe a higher being made this beautiful world for me to enjoy. Do I believe in prayers. Hay It can't hurt. And I do not want people to think I am talking to myself when I ask somebody upstairs to look out for somebody . I don't want to have people think I am crazier then they already do by talking to myself. I do have friends I have never seen or met or know where they come from. If I was a child you might say I have Imaginary friends. Do I play dolls and dress up and hide and seek...you bet I do. Keeps me young. I color and finger paint too. I have been asked if I am prejudice. I better not be with the United Nations for grandkids. I have been told my cartoons are not what a parent wants their children to see and have been deleted from a group for kids with Thyroid Disease. I have also been told by 2 Thyroid groups not to post my "Coffee Break" or promote my things on their page. But, I can post my experience. The only reason I am posting this information here is because....this is my Blog ...and I can say what I want. But to also let everybody know. I have no hard feelings about it. We all have what we believe in and have a right to our belief. I don't care who or what you are...I don't care what color or what you believe in. If you like what I write about and my cartoons you will come and see. If not well you just won't. I am here for myself and for you who need a place to come to for a "THYROID COFFEE BREAK" , a break from your Thyroid Disease. It does not matter if you have it or somebody you care about does. If you need a break from it all come here and I will try to give you a smile or at least let you know you are not alone and we all have problems and things we don't all agree with. Even in our Thyroid Disease we don't all agree. Some of us can not even agree this disease is curable or not. So to sum it all up.... I AM POSITIVE.

Please feel free to post any comments you have. If you want it private just email me at tdcoffeebreak@gmail.com or there is a place on this site that will send me your message right away.

I am writing 2 blogs today. two subjects to cover. Some of you have asked about my Thyroid Support meetings and asked how I run them. Well. I don't really. For years I belonged to Volunteer organizations. From the JayCee Women, American Legion, VFW, to name a few. I was even asked to start an Auxiliary for the 82nd Airborne Association in Colorado. I researched and got the Auxiliary started. In 1986 I was the 1st elected President for the state of Colorado 82nd Airborne Auxiliary. I was the 1st Hispanic Auxiliary State President in the Nation for the 82nd Airborne Association. A big honor for me.Well, with this experience behind me I have learned at least one big thing that they all had in common. People like to belong to an Organization....but they do not like to go to meetings. Only "One" of these organizations had meetings people actually wanted to go to and looked forward to. They had meetings every week. Some of the others I belonged to had them once a month and very few people showed up at those meetings. Why was that??It was the kind of meetings the "One" had. They were fun and informative. They were motivational and made you want to do something. This organization no longer exist because too many people wanted to change it into something else. This was the JayCees. I was a JayCee Women. I learned so much from them. They had "Speak Up" a program to teach you to speak in public. "Write Up" to teach you how to do paper work, forms, and essays. "Time Management" that thaught you how to manage your time. And a few more. I use all the things they taught me to this day. It has been over 30 years ago.I loved going to the meetings and conventions. You came back so fired up and felt you could do anything. So, this is what I try to do at my meetings. I don't always get a speaker for my support meetings. Most of the time I am the only speaker. My "Coffee Break" is a support meeting and a learning meeting yes. But one of the things I want to get across is how to enjoy this new life you have with Thyroid Disease. How to smile and laugh again. How to make your life easier. It is not easy to live with a Thyroid Disease. It is not easy to live with somebody that has it. But, we can learn to live with it. I always say "Laughter is the best medicine". Laughter has helped me. I had forgot to laugh and to smile. What was there to laugh or smile about?? So I started trying to find ways to do just that. The more I tried the easier it got and the better I felt. Oh don't get me wrong. I DO still have some very bad days and will cry and have a fit. But they are not as often or as bad as they once were. But, you know whatr really helps me??? It is all of you. When you send me a positive email or a note of encouragement...well it makes me smile.When I go to a Coffee Break and people come in frowning, hanging their head and just looking uncomfortable to be there. But by the time they leave they are laughing or at least smiling. I have seen people and myself cry at some of these meetings. Telling our story and getting it out of our system. Then I tell them things I do. I make fun of myself a lot. Pretty soon they are smiling and some even laughing. I bring informative material and art supplies to my meetings. That includes crayons and cartoons to color. All the cartoons are informative about Thyroid Disease. You would be surprised to see how much a husband has learned coloring a page about a wife that can not go out in the Sunlight or losing her hair. You should see a man get humble when my husband gives a speech about standing by your lady . I have seen grown men cry and hug their wife and say they are so sorry. And then we lighten up and Color.I am putting together a Support meeting kit soon. As I can not go to all the "Thyroid Coffee Breaks" As much As I would like to. But if you want to invite me and pay my way I will go on the other side of the world to make you laugh,lol.So, I do things unconventional. I learned from the best of the best. Spring Started Yesterday.......What are you waiting for?????

"You have to believe in HappinessOr happiness never comes...Oh, that's the reason a bird sings...On his darkest day he believes in Spring."

For those of you not on Face Book . I am running a Challenge. It started on March 16 but it can be startred any time. Start yours today. It is called the "I AM______" Project. For 30 days or more if you can wrote a positive word after "I Am__" . Like I Am smart, or I Am good. What ever you can think of. No matter how bad you are feeling right now...you will feel better just finding the word. I had a lady the other day feeling real bad. She said she did not think she could find one word that she was positive about. She try's so hard to feel better and just can't. Give the lady a hand. She had a positive word already. Do you know what it was?? You have one and if you have one you have two then three....and so on. Try it.My "Thyroid Cookie Break" Project went very well. We made up 50 art packs for Thyroid Cookie Break kids. We had a few sponsors so are able to send a few out to a few kids that need them to cheer them up. Some of you sent in the $5.00 or $10.00 postage for Art packs for your kids. I have Support Group Art Packs to use at Support meetings. Great for ice breakers at meetings. Also fun.I am doing a "Thyroid Coffee Break" cook book. Recipes you all can send in to me. I have put in family recipes, fun and funny recipes. If you would like to see your name in print send in a recipe to coffeebreakrecipe@yahoo.comUp coming projects: Our 3rd year Anniversary is coming up in August. I would like to do something special. If you have any ideas let me know email me or make a comment here. I am still not real good at the tweeting, but I do tweet when I put something new in the blog. For those that have asked...Yes I will be making a calendar for 2013. The last one I did was 2010. So about time I made one . I have a completely new idea for this one. Last time it was all my Coffee Break Chili Cartoons. The one before that was my butterfly water color paintings. If you have an idea of something you would like to see, let me know. I have time to work on that. They will be up for sale by November. In time for Christmas gifts.So....I have the "Thyroid Cookie Break" on going. If you know of a child with a Thyroid Disease or a child in a family (your kids) that is having a hard time understanding this terrible disease and needs some cheering up, send for a "Thyroid Cookie Break" art pack. I just ask for P&H. If you want to sponsor a child let me know. We have children that can really use some Cheering up. What makes a kid happier then to color. Heck I like to color....don't you???

I am only one women trying to help others with Thyroid Disease. I Am trying to pay forward to Mary, Deb and Claire and a few others who helped me so much when I was so lost with Graves' Disease. I do not want anybody to... feel that lost that helpless and that depressed. I work very hard on keeping my own spirits up. I am blessed to have a husband that shares this with me and grandchildren who brighten my life. Help me help you and others. If I could afford to do more I would . I just can only do a fraction. I am asking for your support. Buy something from the store which I only get a fraction from each order. Or order a doll ,an art pack, post cards or wallet cards directly from me. These cost less direct from me. Send a Donation so I can send something to somebody who needs some cheering up. Like Evelyn , I send her post cards and poems to cheer her. She lives alone on disability with not personal support. Or Karen, who has 3 young children, one with Graves' Disease. I send he a Thyroid Art pack every month. They kids love getting their Thyroid Art pack with new cartoons. It helps the ones with out Graves' understand the sister that has it. It makes the sister with Graves' Disease feel wanted and not left out. All the money made from my online store goes to support my Thyroid Coffee Breaks. I not only give online support but, go to Thyroid Coffee, American Legion , VFW, and Red Hat meetings to hand out information about Thyroid Disease. I am on ...this computer everyday or on the phone giving support. I get donations of Art Supplies to use for Thyroid Awareness and to make up Thyroid Art packs. I send this out to children with Thyroid Disease or a loved one with Thyroid Disease. The Art packs include my cartoons for better understanding of the Disease. I do ask for the cost of mailing, but have sent them out to those that can not afford even that. The cost of ink cartriges, paper, and/or printing is my biggest cost. Not counting when I travel to other cities. I try to make my travel to meetings go hand in hand with visits to my grandchildren. But even so, I can only afford a short trip once a month. There are always other expenses that I try to keep low. Try as I might it is harder and harder as I get request everyday. If I could afford to I would send out more Thyroid Art packs to Thyroid Support groups. I would send out the 'Mr. Graves' Chili Doll" out for free for those that need it. I would send out more of the wallet poems of encouragement. I would send out the "I Am" project and others. I would publish my book and my coloring book. email me or message me for more information. Send a donation of a cup of coffee and I will send you a few inspirational wallet cards. Send $5.oo and I will send you some post cards. Send $20.00 or more and I will send you a surprise package. You will always get something for your donation. Thank youThyroid Coffee Break1423 ArizonaTrinidad, Colorado tdcoffeebreak@gmail.com or marporanch@yahoo.com Thank you

Some families have a number of people with a Thyroid problem, some only have one person. There are many factors. I don't think my kids will get my Thyroid Disease just because I have it, I think they may carry a gene to make them more at... risk. My great grandmother had Graves and her two sisters had Thyroid Eye disease. Nobody in my grandmother or mothers generation got it. Then I got it and a cousin. This cousin and 4 other cousins have a thyroid Disease. But we are 4th generation and from the different sisters. None of my children , grandchildren or great grandchildren have it, knock on wood. I make sure they all know to get tested. On my fathers side I just found out a 4th removed cousin has GD. Stress is a big factor from what I hear. My job was a fun job no stress but face paced and multitask. So stress was not a big factor with me. Bottom line is I don't know why I got it and family more stressed then I was did not. As with everything with this disease......who knows? I even gave up keeping track of the numbers as they meant nothing to me. I felt good and numbers were bad. I felt bad and the numbers were good. They drove me crazy. Now I stopped worrying about that and try to live a quite life. I stay away from stressful family members and friends(?). I try to do something that will make me laugh everyday. Not always easy ...but who said this was going to be easy. You just take one day at a time. What works for one of us does not work for all. As you all know by now.I guess when you come right down to it there just is not an easy answer for us. So, the best thing to do is try not to worry about it to much. We have enough to worry about.

I am happy to report I am now officially 6 months into remission. By no means cured. As I told you all a while back, I still have outburst of anger and crying spells. I still have a hard time going out in crowds at times. I am very careful what I eat and drink. I am very careful about staying away from people that stress me out. I try to have a daily dose of laughter , at least once a day. I fill out my chart from my book that I am still writing. You can do it to. It is called the "I Am Project" Every day you write a positive word after "I am________". Like I am happy, I am smart, I am trying. It has to be a positive word. So how many days you can go. I am putting that challenge up on my Face Book Page Elaine's Coffee Break. Join me there and see how every body does. The next thing I do everyday is write one word in my list...."Things that make me smile" How long is your list? This is my Challenge to you all see what you do in one month. See if you feel better.

I had not to thought to put this up til today. I have been useing these old remedies of my Great Grandmothers for about 9 months now. My Grandmother and both of her sisters had GD. None went to regular doctors. They used home remedies. I am not a doctor and I am NOT telling you they will work for you. Everything I put up here works for me. For Muscle Pain 1T. Cayane Pepper1 T. Wormwood! T. Tansy Flower 8 oz. vinigarCombine and warm gently to dissolve. Cool and starin through a cheese cloth. Add 12 oz spirts of Comphor and 8 oz. turpintine. Mix gently. Makes a liniment. (Quoted in Mother Earth....same recipe. Secret is in it's potency as a rebacient or susstance that stimulates the blood flow to the surface of the skin)Some of us are not able to take over the counter Cough Medicine. This is what I use. Good for Congestion also1t. Cayane Pepper1/2 c. apple cider vinigar1/2 c. waterMix and keep in fridge. You can add Honey to taste better. take 1 T. as needed.To lower Blood Pressure( Mother Earth Quote: Research shows capsaicin to be an effective antithypertensive agent to reduce blod pressure)1t. Cayanne Pepper1 c. hot waterMix and drink twice a day. you can also buy gel gaps at the phrmacy and fill with cayanne pepper (size 00). Take twice a day.For Tired feet/Painful FeetSprinkle some Cayanne Powder in you sox to stimulate blood flow.The drinks can also be used for lightening Menstrual Flow and 2 of my son's with Ulcer's take the drinks to relieve Ulcer pain.We also make this Tea. Use a Dash of any or all. All the ingredients are proven anti-arthritis compounds. Just pour boiling water over any combination and let seep 10-20 minutes before drinking.Artheritis TeaRosemary, Oregano, lemom Balm, peppermint, sage, thyme, maaaargotam, hyssop, bee balm, basil, spearmint, savory, ginger, turmericTo clean out the body;Lita's CleanseA pitcher of cold water1 T Cayanne Pepper2-3 Lemons , juiced or 1/4 C. lemon juiceMolasses or Honey to tasteDrink the pitcher in one day. Can drink up to 5 days at a time eating nothing or a few light vegetables to really clean out the systum. your stool will be black,which means it is really working. You may even loss a few pounds.I have a few more. But these are all natural ingredients you can grow or buy in the market or health food store. If you do try it will you let me know here in the comments. We moved bacxk to our home town about 8-9 months ago. A nice quite town, that helps the stress right there. I had to find a new doctor and he completely wanted to change all my med's. So I decide to do a body cleanse of my grandmothers. I also started with the above remedies. We cook with a lot of Cayanne any way. But we started using it even more. As for me I walked with a cane up to 7 months ago. 3 months ago I walked with my husband down town. A 11 block walk going and 11 blocks back. Before that I could barely walk one block with out sitting to rest my bad legs. I can dance with my husband again. I have more energy. Aa you can all see I am one busy beaver lately. Not sleeping as much as I use to. No more sleeping 16 or more hours a day. Back to my 8 hrs sleep. Did I mention no pain in my knees and very little in my elbow ( Which is slightly bent due to losing cartlage and had a lot of pain). And the doc said my blood pressure is down. Do I take med's??? No. As long as I am feeling half right ...I won't. I am not cured by any means. I have some very bad days still. I cry easily (never did before Graves). I can get very upset on occasion, as my husband will varify. But, I do feel better and the ups and downs are not as bad as they where. And I don't wory as much about the other disease's I may get from taking sertain meds. I read the lables on my meds and Do Not like what they say. If I think I really need med's I will take them. But for now....well it is wait and see.

What are we doing this month? We are having Keurig Coffee Breaks. As you know Saturday was Thyroid Cookie Break. One of the ladies brought over her Keurig Cofee Machine to share with all of us. We LOVED it. All kinds of flavors to choose from and single serve. We had so much fun. I had mentioned that I had put in at House Party to host a Keurig Coffee PArty. Well you know me...any thing for a Coffee break. So wish me luck at getting the Keurig House Party. Go to Keurig.com to find out more about this machine.The Thyroid Cookie Break went great. We packed up at least 50 art pack's to send and to take to Thyroid Support meetings. While everybody else did asrt packs I sewed up some fruit and sandwichs for kids. Mostly we brain stormed new ideas. Some hit the trash real quick, some went on file, some are on are future projects. It was all fun. We got some crazy ideas and some not so crazy. One was to take our lawn recliners to the park and dress silly. Like a costume party at the park for a GD Coffee Break. That went in the trash...people think we are crazy enough with out advertising it,lol. Another was to had out out cards. These cards have Thyroid symptoms on them. GOOD IDEA. This is a keeper and on file for future project. Got to make up the cards first. That takes $$$$. Which we are quite short on at the moment. A contest is also a future project and a calendar for next year. We did a calendar in 2010. That one had our Chili cartoons. Next year we would like to have pictures of people, pets and kids with our Thyroid designs. That is also where the contest comes in. Watch for it in the near future. Actually I think we will launch it in August for our 3rd Anniversary.Thyroid Coffee Break Fund Raiser. ....well that did not turn out so good. But I am not a good Fund Raiser. Just don't have it in me I guess. So what did I do? I opened an online store with all my designs and cartoons. It is called ElainesCoffeeBreak Store on Zazzel.com You can find the link on a few pages here or go on my Face Book page and see some of the crazy things I have. Just click on the picture and it goes right to the store. Please give me some feed back on what you like and don't like. There are some really crazy things there. Not all of them will stay up in the store. But they will make you smile and even laugh. And well that is my goal. But, it would help if you all bought something to keep this old GD Coffee Break up and running. So many projects on file. Should keep me out of trouble for a few months at least. Oh yes and the Thyroid Cook Book is still looking for recipes go to coffeebreakrecipe@yahoo.com.And last but not least... I am still writting my book with all my crazy stories of my life dealing with Graves' Disease and TED. Many of my Original Poems. things to make you smile and things to make your life easier to live. I have a lady willing to proof read it. Now I just need a publisher. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.So this retired,lol person leaves you today with this thought..."Retirement is the time when you never do all the things you said you wanted to do if you only had the time."......LOL

Elaine

I am the person that started the first coffee break. I Have had Graves' Disease for at least 10 years. I also have Thyroid Eye Disease. I give Thyroid Disease Support . My goal in life is to inform the public about Thyroid Disease.